SPEECH BY SHRI K.R. NARAYANAN, PRESIDENT OF INDIA, WHILE ACCEPTING THE CREDENTIALS FROM MR. BAKTYBEK JOLCHUBEKOVICH BESHIMOV, AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE OF THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC TO INDIA

NEW DELHI, MAY 15, 2000

Excellency,

I have great pleasure in accepting the Letter of Credence for your appointment as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic to India. I welcome you and wish you a happy and fruitful tenure. I would also like to take this opportunity to convey my good wishes to His Excellency Mr. Askar Akaev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic, for his health and for further progress and prosperity of the friendly people of Kyrgyzstan. His Excellency President Akaev's visit to India accompanied by Madame Mairam Akaeva in April last year was a landmark event in our bilateral relations. I equally cherish the memories of my own visit to your beautiful country in 1996.

India's relations with the Kyrgyz Republic are both historical and modern. These traditional relations have gathered further momentum and substance after Kyrgyzstan's independence in 1991. Our political relations are problem-free and imbued with good understanding on most important issues that concern us. At the popular level in both countries, there is an abundant reservoir of goodwill for each other. It is time to build on these relations in terms of concrete economic and commercial interactions for which considerable potential exists.

We share common values of secularism and democracy. We emphatically reject all attempts at changing political and social order through violent and intolerant means. A strong co-operative relationship between India and Kyrgyzstan will contribute positively to the strengthening of the forces of pluralism and tolerance and help in bringing about peace and stability in the region.

Peace and security are pre-requisites for development. The growing negative phenomenon of religious fundamentalism and terrorism is a grave threat to all secular and humane societies. Kyrgyzstan, like India, is a victim of terrorism. We need to combat these negative forces by joint action.

I look forward to your success in contributing positively and meaningfully to our existing excellent relations. I would like to assure you of the full support of the Government of India in your endeavours in further strengthening Indo-Kyrgyz relations. I again wish you success in your professional responsibilities and a pleasant stay in India.

Thank you